Nigeria

Summary minutes of 22/04/2004 – Provisional edition

Nigeria

P5_TA-PROV(2004)0381

Resolution of the European Parliament regarding Nigeria

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in Nigeria,

– having regard to the international human rights conventions ratified by Nigeria,

– having regard to Article 50, paragraph 5 of its Rules of Procedure,

A. having regard to the numerous community conflicts in Nigeria resulting in thousands of deaths in recent years,

B. having regard to the fact that these conflicts sometimes take on a religious character,

C. having regard to the recent outbreak of religious violence in Plateau State, Nigeria, which resulted in the death of approximately 1,500 Christians, the displacement of over 50,000 people, and the destruction of 173 churches, as one of the worst incidents in the context of ongoing violence against Christian communities in various states of Nigeria in recent years,

D. having regard to the fact that a large number of mercenaries appear to have been recruited from Niger and Chad by Islamist extremists in Plateau State to be used in attacks on Christian towns and villages,

E. having regard to the violent actions of Islamist fundamentalists, particularly in the northern states, and the fact that a battalion of 500 soldiers, supported by tanks, was required to suppress the uprising of the Muslim sect “Followers of the Prophet,” which had taken over police stations and schools in Kano State,

F. having regard to the fact that since 1999, 12 northern states with a Muslim majority have strictly implemented the Islamic law of Sharia, leading to increasing tensions between Muslims and Christians, resulting in ethnic and religious violence, including the killing of over 10,000 people,

G. having regard to the fact that the Nigerian Constitution, which was adopted in 1999, guarantees full religious freedom,

H. having regard to the fact that a religious law can only be applied to those who accept it, and that the European Parliament has repeatedly condemned the potential use of stoning women to death by local courts under Sharia law,

I. having regard to the fact that the Nigerian region of Kano is among the last remaining reservoirs of the polio virus,

1. condemns all forms of religious intolerance and violence, including the most recent murders of Christians and the destruction of churches in Plateau State, Nigeria;

2. calls on the government of Nigeria to take immediate and effective measures to protect its citizens, end the violence, actively promote and respect human rights, particularly religious freedom, and to foster a dialogue that will lead to lasting peace and security in all states;

3. calls on the European Union to immediately initiate political dialogue with the government of Nigeria in order to promote tolerance and peace between communities, including religious authorities, and ensure the security of individuals, within a framework of respect for human rights, including the respect for religious beliefs;

4. expresses regret over the suspension of anti-polio vaccinations by the authorities in the Kano region, following unfounded rumors spread by certain circles of Islamist clerics regarding the vaccine, resulting in a threat to the progress of polio eradication in Africa;

5. assigns its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the ACP-EU Council, the co-presidents of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, and the government of Nigeria.